The present invention relates to a surgical light apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to improved controls for the operation of a surgical light apparatus for generating light at a surgical site.
Surgical lights used in hospital operating rooms to illuminate surgical sites on patients are known. Many surgical lights are suspended from a ceiling of a hospital room by arm mechanisms which are movable to permit adjustment of the location of the surgical light relative to the patient. It is common for surgical lights to be placed in a position behind a surgeon such that the surgeon""s head is located between the surgical light and the surgical site. Surgical lights having a dome-shaped reflector to reflect light toward the surgical site around the head of the surgeon are known. It is desirable for surgical lights to provide a high illuminance level, to shine light deeply into a patient""s body cavity, and to resist shadowing caused by interference from personnel and instruments.
Surgical lights typically include a housing surrounding a reflector and a lens coupled to the housing and facing toward the surgical site. A handle typically extends down from a center portion of the lens to permit the surgeon to adjust the position of the light during the surgical procedure. The surgeon can also change a pattern size of reflected light generated by the surgical light by rotating the handle to move the light source toward and away from the reflector.
At least the handle and the lens of the surgical light are located in a sterile field prepared for the surgical procedure. In other words, a bottom portion of the surgical light including the lens and the handle must be sterilized prior to a surgical procedure by wiping, cleaning or other means. Often a separate, disposable latex cover or shield is placed over the handle prior to the surgical procedure to provide a sterile field on the handle.
Intensity controls for conventional surgical lights are located on wall boxes spaced apart from the surgical light or on a portion of the surgical light outside of the sterile field. The surgical light apparatus of the present invention advantageously locates all of the light controls inside the sterile field. This allows the surgeon or other sterile personnel in the surgical suite to adjust the position of the surgical light, to adjust the focus of the light by turning the handle, and also to operate the on/off and intensity or brightness controls for the light from within the sterile field during a surgical procedure.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a surgical light apparatus includes a lighthead having a sterile field thereon, a bulb located within the lighthead, a controller coupled to the bulb, and an actuator coupled to the controller to adjust an intensity of light emitted from the bulb. The actuator is located in the sterile field on the lighthead.
The lighthead illustratively includes a reflector, a lens, and a handle located adjacent the lens. In the illustrated embodiment, the actuator is located on the handle. The handle is illustratively configured to extend outwardly from a center portion of the lens. The actuator illustratively may be a push button actuator, rocker switch, or a squeezable actuator.
In the illustrated embodiment, the actuator is configured to engage a switch coupled to the controller. The controller is illustratively configured to turn the bulb on and off and to adjust the intensity level of the bulb between a minimum intensity level setting (L1) and a maximum intensity level setting (Ln) in a predetermined sequence based on each switch actuation by the actuator.
A panel located adjacent the sterile handle, in the sterile field, provides an intensity level display. The display also includes a relamp indicator light which notifies the user that the main light bulb has failed and that a backup or auxiliary bulb is currently in use. In addition, the display provides a standby light to indicate that power is supplied to the light. The surgical light apparatus of the present invention provides duplicate sets of displays on opposite sides of the surgical light so that the surgeon can view one of the displays regardless of the orientation of the surgeon relative to the light.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a surgical light apparatus includes a lighthead including a bulb, a lens, a controller for turning the bulb on and off and for adjusting an intensity level of light emitted from the bulb, a first display, and second display spaced apart from the first display. The first display and second display are each coupled to the controller and are each configured to display an indication of the intensity level of the bulb.
The illustrated first and second displays are spaced apart by about 180xc2x0. The first and second displays illustratively each include a plurality of LEDs. Each LED indicates a different light intensity level for the bulb.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a surgical light apparatus includes a lighthead having a reflector, a lens coupled to the reflector, a plurality of tubes mounted in an interior region of the lighthead between the reflector and the lens, a lamp assembly including a support and at least one bulb, and a plurality of rods configured to engage the support. Each rod is configured to extend through the support and into a corresponding tube. The rods include at least one threaded portion configured to secure the lamp assembly within the interior region. The rods are slidable relative to the tubes upon disengagement of the threaded portion of the rods to permit the lamp assembly to move out of the interior region of the lighthead. The rods each are formed to include a stop to prevent separation of the lamp assembly from the lighthead. In the illustrated embodiment, the stops are threaded stops so that the rods can be removed upon rotation of the rods to permit separation of the lamp assembly from the lighthead.
The sterile handle of the present invention is removable for cleaning or autoclaving. The actuation button is illustratively integrated into the end of the sterile handle, but the electrical switch resides inside the light core to facilitate cleaning.
The sterile handle controls of the present invention, located in the sterile field, provide the surgeon or other sterile personnel full control over the surgical light without the need to access distant controls located on a portion of the surgical light outside the sterile field or located on a wall in the surgical suite. The sterile handle controls can be used alone and do not require wall mounted controls and related installation and wiring costs.
However, the surgical light apparatus of the present invention also provides a wall mounted control panel coupled to the surgical light apparatus for use by non-sterile personnel in the surgical suite. The wall control panel can accommodate a plurality of light systems, typically up to three lights per panel. The wall control panel functions in a manner identical to the sterile handle controls. The wall control panel also includes displays for light intensity, relamp indicator, and standby mode the same as those located on the surgical light. The sterile handle controls and the wall control panel use the same controller located above the surgical light.
The surgical light apparatus of the present invention is also designed to facilitate maintaining a sterile field adjacent the handle. In particular, the handle is configured to facilitate installation of a standard disposable sterile handle cover or shield. The handle is configured with an air passage to permit air which would otherwise be trapped between the shield and the handle to exit through the handle and into an interior region of the surgical light apparatus.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, a surgical light apparatus includes a reflector, a lens coupled to the reflector, a bulb located between the reflector and the lens, and a handle located adjacent the lens. The handle is configured to define an air passage to facilitate installation of a shield over the handle.
In the illustrated embodiment, the handle includes a longitudinal axis and a distal end. The air passage is formed in the distal end of the handle and extends along the longitudinal axis. The air passage illustratively extends into an interior region of the surgical light apparatus formed between the reflector and the lens. The distal end of the handle is enlarged to retain the shield on the handle.
According to an additional aspect of the present invention, a surgical light apparatus includes a lighthead having a reflector and a lens, a lamp assembly including a support and at least one bulb located on the support, and a lamp position adjustment mechanism which is coupled to the support and configured to adjust a position of the lamp assembly relative to the reflector to change a pattern size of reflected light emitted from the surgical light apparatus. The apparatus also includes a filament shield mounted in an interior region of the lighthead between the reflector and the lens to block light from passing from the at least one bulb directly through the lens. The filament shield is configured to move with the lamp assembly as the position of the lamp assembly is adjusted by the lamp position adjustment mechanism. The filament shield is also configured to remain in the interior region of the lighthead when the lamp assembly is removed from the interior region to change the bulb or for servicing.
In the illustrated embodiment, a frame is mounted to the lighthead between the reflector and the lens. The filament shield is coupled to the frame. The frame includes a stop, and the filament shield is illustratively mounted between the stop and the reflector to provide a limit position for movement of the filament shield toward the lens. The filament shield is spring biased against the stop. The illustrated filament shield includes an inner flange configured to engage the support of the lamp assembly. The lamp assembly is configured to move the filament shield away from the stop as the position of the lamp assembly is adjusted by the lamp position adjustment mechanism.
The illustrated lamp assembly includes a primary bulb and a redundant bulb. The filament shield is configured to block light from both the primary bulb and the redundant bulb from passing directly through the lens. The illustrated filament shield includes a bottom plate and an outer sidewall extending upwardly from an edge of the bottom plate.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrated embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.